You promise?
by Narcissa1996
Summary: Takes place during sixth year: Alex is a sixteen year old Death Eater. As Draco is entrusted with his mission, she promises Lucius to look after his son. Follow Alex through her experience at Hogwarts as she does everything to guarantee Draco's safety while simultaneously falling for him.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

I made my way trough a damp, dark corridor. Honestly, I couldn't imagine how people were able to survive here; the smell was nauseating and the moisture always chilled me to the bones.  
Once I spotted what I was looking for, I made sure no one was guarding the door. You would have thought that a place such as Azkaban would have better security measures, and while it was impossible to get out, getting in was the easiest thing in the world.

As usual, on Thursday's nights at quarter to midnight, nobody was standing in front of Lucius' cell. It had taken me quite some time to find the best moment to sneak in, but after three months, I was now sure that I had exactly seventeen minutes before anyone would show up.

'You're late,' Lucius stated from the far back of his cell. He no longer looked the way he used to; his hair was lifeless and his face was the one of an old man.

'I'm shocked that you still manage to remember what day of the week we are,' I attempted joking, but there was no room for joy in this place. Looking for the driest spot, I sat on the ground facing Lucius, bars separating us.

'Don't play smart,' Lucius retorted, a hint of a smile barely perceptible, while coming as close to the bars as the chains would allow him to. 'Alright, what have you brought me on this lovely night?' He asked genuinely curious.

'Some grapes and,' I paused while I retrieved a glass bottle from my handbag, 'some 1928 Scotch.' This time his smile was more visible and he eagerly outstretched his hand. I passed him the things and leaned back against the stone wall. 'So,' he asked between two sips, 'What have I missed?'

I knew he wasn't asking about the stock market or the Quidditch championship. Lately, he only cared about two things: his family and the Dark Lord's business regarding his family.

'Well, I went with Bellatrix to Manchester. Since you're here, I have got to team up with her and it's not as fun as it was with you.' I was trying to avoid a specific subject, and by the stern look Lucius gave me, he must have sensed it. 'Fine,' I gave up, rising my hands in a defeated gesture, ' I'll tell you but you won't like it.'

'The Lord is still pissed at you for failing him, and well, since you are here, he can't really punish you, ' I said, faking a positive expression. 'Thus, he has entrusted Draco with a mission. He has until the end of the school year to kill Dumbledore and find a way to get us inside Hogwarts'.

'What?!', Lucius yelled before choking on a grape. He got up as quickly as his weak condition would allow him, and grabbed the bars so hard that his knuckles turned white.

'Calm down,' I whispered slowly and put my hands around Lucius', 'It's going be to fine. Draco is a fine wizard, you said so yourself.'

'A fine wizard?', Lucius repeated, his voice filled with sarcasm. ' He's a sixteen year old boy, Dumbledore is one of the most powerful wizards, bloody hell! ' He was still angry, but for the sake of remaining undetected, he was trying to keep his voice down.

'Don't worry now. We'll find a way, I'll help him,' I was seriously becoming desperate to console him. After all, he was my oldest and in all honesty, only friend. Slowly, I saw him raising his head, looking me right into the eyes.

'You promise?', he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

'Of course, I do. You're my friend, Lucius.'

—

Perfect. Perfectly perfect.

What the hell had I been thinking ?! There are two incredibly stupid things to do in life: falling in love and doing a stupid unbreakable vow. And while I had promised myself never to do either, I had now vowed to protect Draco, whatever the costs.

Bloody Lucius! What a great friend he is, tricking me into putting my own life at risk to save his son's. I knew I should never have befriended him. I sighed, breathing out, trying to relax, what is done is done, and I can't go back. The most important question right now, was how I, a sixteen year old girl, was going to save a sixteen year old boy.

I knocked on a a dark wooden door. Seconds after, I could hear an 'Enter'.

I slowly turned the handle and entered the the barely lit study.

'Alex, my child, what brings you here?', the Lord asked, clapping his hands as if my presence truly rejoiced him.

'I have an idea, my Lord,' I announced in the most cheerful voice I could manage.

'An idea?', he repeated, 'Very well, take a seat,' he offered, gesturing towards a dark mahogany chair.

So, I wasn't really feeling like sitting right now, but was I going to disobey the Lord? Not in a million years. My life might be seriously fucked up, but being killed by Voldemort really wasn't on my to-do list. 'Well, ' I began, sitting down, ' I'm here to talk about Draco.'

'An idea about Draco, what an unexpected combination,' Voldemort wonders, his voice almost inviting.

'Yeah, it's about his mission,' I start, my voice displaying a confidence that I do not feel, ' With all do respect, my Lord, Draco isn't prepared. Without outside help, he will fail his mission. Fail you, my Lord.' I stop, searching for the right words while simultaneously finding none. 'Therefore, my idea is that someone could teach him, be his mentor.'

'And who do you suggest, Alexandra?' The dark Lord asks, genuinely curious.

'Myself,' Voldemort stares at me doubtfully, but I manage to go on, 'I just got expelled from Durmstrang. And since I need to finish school one way or another, I could attend Hogwarts. That way I could keep an eye on Draco, make sure he follows through his mission and finish the two years of school that I have left.'

The dark Lord remains silent for a long time. Actually, he remains silent for so long that I start wondering whether I haven't just turned deaf and simply can't hear him.

'You have a point, my child,' he agrees, 'I will talk to Severus to make sure you may attend Hogwarts since school starts next Monday. In the mean time, find a cover up identity. Old Dumbledore wouldn't want a Death Eater attending Hogwarts.' And then he starts laughing his disgusting laugh that freezes my entire body. Yet, I do join him in his weird moment of humor, and laugh as well. Once he stops laughing, he speaks again, all joy immediately leaving his face.

'I will inform Draco about our decision at tonight's meeting,' he declares, and I know it's my cue to leave, but there's one more thing I need to ask.

'My Lord, would it be possible not to tell Draco that I will be attending Hogwarts? I don't want him to know, once I'm at Hogwarts, that I am his mentor…' I ask, hoping for some kindness.

'Very well, my child,' Voldemort grants me this favour and I know better than to stay any longer. I quickly excuse myself and leave the study without making a sound.

 **Please review so I know what you think of this :)**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

I stumble out of the fireplace and sneeze, dust particles flying everywhere. Bellatrix should really think about cleaning her chimney, I think as I try to dust my black robes.

Suddenly someone is grabbing me from behind and I turn around to face the host herself.

'Why are you wearing your mask?' Bellatrix asks, eyeing me curiously.

'Well, hello to you too,' I reply sarcastically before answering her question,'There is someone here who can't find out who I am,' I reply in a hushed voice.

Bellatrix takes my arm and leads to the living room where a bunch of Death Eaters are already gathered.

'Alright,' she says, facing me again, 'who are you hiding from?'

'Your nephew,' I answer in a very low voice and proceed to tell her the same story I told Voldemort that afternoon, 'But I don't want him to know that the Death Eater who will be teaching him how to kill, is also the new student at Hogwarts.'

My friend stares back at me like I had just told her that Harry Potter was dead, 'So, you're telling me that you'll be at Hogwarts? That's wonderful,' she whispers in an excited way, before laughing madly, 'You'll make a perfect Slytherin! I need to tell you all about the Room of Requirements…'

I interrupt her in her babbling, 'You must promise that you will keep this a secret. Only you, Severus and the Lord himself know about this.'

As she is about to reply, we are interrupted by Voldemort's arrival.

At once, the noise dies down and we follow the Lord to the dining room where a long table awaits. Entering the room, I am forced to admit that the Lestrange manor is very beautiful… and creepy. Voldemort is already sitting at the far end of the table and I go to my usual seat at his left, while Bellatrix sits at his right. Next to me, Severus sits down and pushes his chair forward. Many familiar faces are glancing curiously at me: While some Death Eaters wear masks to such meetings, I'm never one of them. Greyback eyes me for a long time, his creepy smile freaking me out.

I spot Draco, who is staring intensely at the ground, at the other end of the table. He looks decent, even more than decent, he is quite handsome actually, like a younger version of his father, my partner. However, his seating arrangement indicates that Voldemort is still incredibly pissed at the Malfoys.

When everyone is finally at their place, Voldemort starts speaking and I don't listen to him. I never do. As long as you nod and laugh at the right moments, he doesn't notice it. After about an hour of endless preaching, I feel the Lord's bony, greyish hand on my shoulder, indicating me to stand up.

I do as I am silently ordered and Voldemort stands up as well, talking once again, 'Draco,' he announces loudly, and my gaze immediately goes to the dashing young man. He looks frightened and clearly uncomfortable as he seems to hesitate between getting up or staying seated.

Dear Lord, I think to myself, he still has so much to learn and he better learn quickly or he won't leave this meeting alive. Taking pity in him, I make a very small and barely notable gesture with my left hand, indicating him to stand up. Nobody else notices this, but Draco gets up immediately.

'Draco,' Voldemort says once again, 'I have reconsidered your situation. And I have decided that you will get help.' At once, I notice that Voldemort is speaking cryptically which makes me realise that the nature of Draco's mission is not common knowledge. 'Alex, here, will be your mentor.' Voldemort announces to the entire table, everybody is now staring at me, waiting for me do to something.

I clear my throat, and speak in my most powerful voice, 'I will meet you tomorrow at ten in the evening at the Malfoy manor,' I declare, looking directly into his grey eyes. He nods, and I can see that he is surprised at hearing a female voice. As I look down at his hands, I see that they are shaking but also that he is clutching the table forcefully in order to hide it.

Suddenly, Voldemort claps his hands one time, and dismisses us. The meeting is officially over.

When I'm about to move Severus grabs my shoulder, 'I need to talk to you'

I sit back down and turn around so that I'm now facing him.

'I found you a new identity,' he says in his deep voice, 'And I already informed Dumbledore that a new student will be attending Hogwarts this year.'

'Thank you,' I say as a genuine smile appears on my face under my mask. I'm really happy to go to Hogwarts as I have heard many wonderful stories from there by Bellatrix and Lucius, and after all, that's where my parents met each other. 'Anything I need to do before boarding the train on Monday?' I ask.

'Yes,' he pushes an a thick, yellowed enveloppe towards me, 'Here is all the information about your new identity and also a list of things that you have to buy for your classes.'

I grab the enveloppe, and get up once again, whispering jokingly at Severus, 'See you at Hogwarts, Professor.' I then pat his shoulder, earning myself a murderous glance, and make my way to the fireplace.

As I grab a fistful of floo powder in my right hand, I can sense a presence behind me. One moment later, a wild Draco Malfoy appears in front of me.

'Do you,' Draco starts in a very timid voice, before continuing, more confidently, 'Do you know how to get to the Malfoy manor?' he asks, clearly searching for my eyes behind the mask.

I stare at him for a long time as a multitude of thoughts crosses my mind. I see so many of Lucius' features in Draco and it's painful knowing that the original Malfoy, my dear friend, is locked up Azkaban. This is the boy that Lucius was always talking about whenever we were together: He would tell me how good of a flyer his son his, how polite he is to his parents considering that he is a teenage boy, how proud he was every time he received Draco's school results even tough he would never admit it in front of his son… Then, I am confronted with the knowledge that I promised and made the unbreakable vow to protect the young man standing in front of me, or die trying.

'Of course I do,' I answer in a far away voice, before flooing back home. If you could call it a home.

—

I wake up the next day at noon, stretching out and decide to order room service as I don't feel like going down for breakfast/lunch. I decide to shower as I wait for my first meal of the day.

My hair is still wet when breakfast arrives and I decide to give the good looking employer a generous tip. That's one of the many reasons why it's the second time I stay in this hotel during my summer holidays: the breakfast is nice, the mattresses are comfortable and the staff is enjoyable. But the main reason is that if you offer the receptionist enough galleons they don't ask why an underage witch stays there two years in a row for two months.

I grab the enveloppe, deciding to skim through the information while eating. As I'm about to take a sip of my pumpkin juice, I almost die of an heart attack. 'Bloody Severus!' I scream. He decided that my first name would remain Alexandra. For someone rumoured to be so smart, this wasn't a bright idea. As I look through the rest of the parchment, I start to picture my new identity: Alexandra De Villiers, sixteen years old, french, former student of Beauxbatons (transferred to Hogwarts because parents decided to move to the UK), daughter of Auguste and Anabelle De Villiers, Pureblood.

Fair enough, I guess Severus decided on the french nationality because since I lived there during my childhood, my french was _impécable_. Besides, admitting that I used to attend Durmstrang would rise a lot of questions as that school is known for its teaching of the dark arts. All in all, I was quite satisfied by my new identity, even though I preferred my two previous surnames, Bloodstain (which I had only carried for a year) and Varenne (curtesy of my adoptive parents). Tears start gathering in my eyes but I quickly clean them away. There's no point in crying about it now: It happened two years ago and at least they are alive. My biological parents may be dead, but at least mom and dad are safe, I repeat to myself, trying to find comfort in the only thing that is truly comforting in my life: The fact that I managed to save them.

I finish breakfast, feeling ashamed of my moment of weakness, and grab the list of supplies that I need to buy for school. I'm almost out of the room when I remember that I'm barefoot.

 **Please review so I know what you guys think of this story (and also because it makes me very happy :) )**  
 **Also, I want to apologise about any English mistakes that you may find! English is only my fifth language, and sometimes I mess it up.**


	3. Chapter 2

Once downstairs, I quickly wave at the receptionist and open the door, fresh air greeting my face, my brown hair with dark green highlights flying everywhere. Before I step out, though, I check one more time that I am now wearing shoes, not wanting to repeat the time when I went to have dinner in Diagon Alley and only noticed that I was barefoot when people kept staring at my like I had grown two heads.

I step out into the street, still blushing because of this recent embarrassment. Personally I felt that it was too warm but I guess that even Britain can't be cold on August 30th. I quickly walk towards Diagon Alley, feeling greatly excited at the idea of buying my school supplies.

My first stop is Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions. The old witch takes my measurements, repeats about a thousand times that my body is disproportionate, and tells me that my ten sets of school robes, skirts and shirts will be ready at 6pm. I pay for my articles and make my way towards the door, when Madame Malkin calls out my name:

'Miss DeVilliers,' she yells in order to be heard in the noisy store, 'which badge should I stitch on the robes?'

'Slytherin, of course,' I answer already halfway out the door.

As soon as I get out, I spot Draco and Narcissa walking in a hushed way towards Knockturn Alley. Curiosity taking the best of me, I decide to follow them. By the way, Draco really does look good from behind! After some more walking, they stop in front of Borgin and Burkes, both making sure that they are not being followed before entering.

Feeling proud that I managed to hide just in time, I don't notice three people approaching. Suddenly, I feel a hand on my shoulder, which makes me turn around and come face to faces with the Golden Trio.

'Who are you and why are you following Malfoy?' Harry Potter asks in an urgent voice. I can already tell that we won't be friends.

'The first is none of your business and the second is not true,' I answer, my sassiness showing through.

'Oh yeah,' the girl retorts, 'Then what are doing in Knockturn Alley?'

'Could ask you the same question,' I reply giving her a murderous stare. Alright, I am very small at barely 5'1'' but running around with Death Eaters is very useful, for instance it taught me how look menacing. 'As for me, I have some shopping to do.'

Not wanting to stay near them one more second, I impulsively decide to enter Borgin and Burkes as well. Truth to be told I wasn't particularly interested in the articles displayed in this shop but I had to keep an eye on Malfoy.

'Hello Miss, how may I help you?' An old wizard, Borgin, is standing in front of me, looking at me intensely, probably deciding whether or not I can be trusted.

At that moment, I spot the Malfoys towards the end of the store, standing in front of what seems to be an old cabinet.

The old man clears his throat, clearly awaiting a reply.

'I am here to buy,' I improvise quickly.

'And what do you want to buy?' he asks, still eyeing me suspiciously.

'I don't know. Surprise me!'

Borgin furrows his brows but leaves me alone and disappears behind a door on the left side of the store.

This is my chance, I think quickly, and start walking towards the Malfoys, making it look like I am wandering around aimlessly and looking through the various articles. None of them have yet seen me since they continue speaking in hushed voices with Mr. Burke.

'So,' Draco whispers,' the twin is at Hogwarts?' He asks, pointing at a dark, wooden cabinet.

'Yes, but no one knows where exactly the cabinet is at Hogwarts. It could be everywhere and Merlin knows that school is a real maze. Besides,' Mr. Burke adds, 'The twin is rumoured to be broken.'

'I don't care,' Draco says hastily, 'I'll buy this cabinet but you have to keep it in the store.'

At that moment, I can feel a hand on my shoulder. First, Scarface and now this disgusting old wizard, I'm really getting tired of people touching my left shoulder today!

I turn around, flashing the old man a bright, sarcastic smile. Still thinking about the conversation I just witnessed, I buy the old (and apparently strongly cursed) necklace that Borgin brought me, even though I'm not really interested in it.

I decide to go back to Diagon Alley since I still have to buy the schoolbooks. On my way there, I keep thinking about the old cabinet, and in no time I manage to piece Draco's plan: He wants to find the twin which is at Hogwarts, repair it and use it to get us into Hogwarts. Smart, just like his father, I think, a smirk appearing on my lips, as I enter Flourish and Blotts.

I am skimming through a very interesting thriller, the schoolbooks already in my basket, when I can feel once again a hand on my shoulder. This is really pissing me off!

'What do you want, Scarface?' I sass acidly while turning around.

'Scarface?' Draco replies, looking confused. I must admit that he does look cute when he is furrowing his brows.

'I thought you were Potter,' I explain, feeling slightly embarrassed at my outburst.

His smirks, and stretches out a hand. 'The ennemies of my ennemies are my friends. I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy,' he introduces himself.

'I'm Alexandra DeVilliers,' I answer, shaking his hand which seems to be twice the size of mine. I notice, however, that his skin is very smooth.

'Miss DeVilliers,' he smiles, obviously trying to seduce me, 'What are you doing after book shopping?' He asks, glancing quickly at my basket. Seriously? I'm not that I easy…  
'Leaving,' I respond, my lips sporting a very fake smile as I feel slightly insulted.

I walk towards the check out and luckily there is no queue so I manage to leave the store rather quickly. I go back to Madame Malkin's to pick up my clothes before going back to the hotel.

 **This chapter is rather short but I had to end it here or else it would have been an awfully long chapter.**

 **Please review :)**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

I'm staring at my reflection in the mirror, brushing my hair. Once this is done, I put on my Death Eater robes and hide my hair in the hood. Looking at the mirror once again, I sigh and walk to my wardrobe. Silly thing is that Death Eater robes only come in one size, and since I'm practically a midget, I have the choice between tripping all over the robes or wearing heels.

Now standing slightly taller, I look at the clock hanging on the wall: 21:58. I put on the mask and walk to the fireplace. It would be easier to apparate there, and I'm actually quite good at apparating but since it's illegal, I try to avoid doing it in order not to have the Ministry of Magic looking for me.

'Malfoy Manor,' I speak clearly, letting floo powder fall all over me. Moments after, I'm standing in a very large and elegant drawing room in Wiltshire.

I dust my robes and I am forced to admit that this fireplace is a lot cleaner than Bellatrix's. I step out, appreciating the beautiful room, decorated in tones of dark green. The furniture is all made of dark wood, however I can't tell you what sort of wood it is, because I've never been enough interested in wood types to look up their names. I smile, recognising immediately Lucius' taste as I spot a liquor table . The room hasn't changed much since last time I was here, almost two years ago.

Sitting very stiffly on the Chesterfield in front me, is Draco Malfoy, who is scrutinising me.

'It's polite to say hello, you know,' I remark in a slightly angry voice, stretching out my arm, my gloved hand waiting to be shaken.

Draco eyes me suspiciously, deciding whether other or not to shake my hand.

'I don't bite,' I reassure him, in a kinder voice. At this, he stands up and shakes my hand for the second time that day.

He smiles and apologises, 'I'm sorry Ma'am.' What the hell?!

'I'm not old enough to be called that,' I reply,' But I do accept your apology.'

A long silence ensues and to be honest, I'm starting to regret my promise to Lucius even more than before.

'Let's go outside,' I suggest, 'and take your wand with you.'

He nods and leads me towards a glass door which opens to a very large garden with lots of rose bushes.

'I forgot how much Narcissa loved roses,' I whisper to myself.

However, Draco clearly heard me because he looks at me questioningly, 'You know my mother?'

'Not personally,' I reply curtly, not wanting to say more than is necessary.

We are now in what you would call a clearing, surrounded by trees of various sizes. A white, round marble table is on the center, almost entirely engulfed by poison ivy. Two metal forged chairs surround it, and Draco sits in one of them.

I do not hesitate whether to sit down or not since I'm wearing heels.

Draco remains silent as I face him and I feel weird, weirded out to be feared by a boy my own age.

'Let's clarify some things,' I announce, leaning back on the very beautiful but highly uncomfortable chair, 'First, you don't need to fear me because I will not hurt you in any way.' As I say this, I can see his shoulders relaxing, however I'm not able to make out his expression since there is not enough light. 'Second, since we are bound to spend a great deal of time together, I want us to speak freely, because in all honesty, your silence is frankly uncomfortable.

I hear him chuckle, 'Alright then,' he replies in a lighter tone, 'What are we doing tonight?'

'Well, you tell me how you plan on killing old Dumbledore,' I suggest, truly interested about his plan.

'I thought I would just go to his office when he is alone and use the Killing Curse,' Draco answers like what he just said isn't utter madness.

'So,' I start, barely able to contain my laughter at his so-called plan, 'You do not reckon that he will try to defend himself, that a duel will ensue? Or perhaps that you won't be able to perform the Killing Curse?'

He stares back at me in a way like I had just told him that Santa does not exist, 'Well, no, I'm not planning on a duel. I plan on just killing him very quickly,' he replies tentatively, judging my reaction.

'Accio spider,' I voice out, my wand now in my hand. Out of nowhere a very thick and also very disgusting spider appears on my palm. Ugh! How I hate this creepy creatures!

I place the spider on the center of the table and quickly point my wand at it, 'Imperio,' I say, ordering the spider to stay put.

Draco approaches the table and I can distinguish a 'What The Fuck' look on his face.

'Now get up and kill it,' I order, my voice slightly louder than before.

'May I ask you a question?', Draco enquires and I nod. 'Why do I have to stand up? And won't you take off your mask?'

'That's two questions. You stand up because killing while sitting is no fun. As to your second question, no, I won't take off my mask.'

Draco looks unsatisfied by my reply, but stands up none the less.

He takes his wand on his right hand, points it at the spider and remains that way for a long time. I do not feel like hushing him as I still remember very clearly the first time I had to use the Killing Curse. Moments later, I can hear him say 'Avada Kedavra' in a shaky voice but nothing happens.

 _Flashback_

Approximately two years ago, I was about to perform the Killing Curse for the first time, just like Draco. Unlike Draco, however, my mentor was the Lord himself and I didn't have the chance to practice on a spider.

My body is shaking very strongly, as I point my wand at the quivering muggle man who was chained to the wall. About two meters to his right, Madeleine and Vincent Varenne were chained as well. It hurt so much seeing my parents this way. It was all my fault; if had been discreet while in London, Voldemort would never have noticed me and we wouldn't all be here.

'Now, kill this vermin already or I will kill your parents,' Voldemort threatened. He, or rather the feeble and weak creature that he was, was sitting on a chair behind me. He might have been weak, but the dead half-eaten muggle in the middle of the room proved that he was still strong enough to kill.

'One,' his hissy voice startles me, making me shake even more. 'Two.' I look at my parents, they are sobbing silently, Ratface having silenced them as soon as they were brought here two days ago. However, I do not cry, following the advice my mother had given me years ago. It seems, though, that she wasn't following her own her advice.

Before Voldemort finishes counting to three, I shout 'Avada Kedavra' and a green jet of light emerges from the tip of my wand.

In the end, there hadn't been a point on this muggle man as Voldemort forced me to kill my parents anyway.

 _End of Flashback_

'Avada Kedavra,' he shouts again, his voice no longer shaking but instead animated by his frustration at not being able to properly use the Killing Curse.

Still, nothing happens and I can see Draco getting even angrier as he repeats these two words again and again.

'Stop,' I order, gaining his attention after a few seconds, 'Seat down and calm yourself.' My voice remaining calm, I can see obeying me. 'Now, are there any peaches in the garden?' I ask him.

'I think so,' he replies looking puzzled.

'Accio peach,' I voice out and almost instantly, a peach appears in my hands. I then summon some water in order to clean it before starting to eat it. 'Do you want grapes?' I ask Draco who is still looking at me in disbelief.

'No, I hate grapes,' he replies. Well, I thought since they were Lucius' favourite, they would also be Draco's. Guess I was wrong.

At that moment he summons himself an apple and some water to clean it. I smile, knowing that I managed to put him at ease. After all, his father is in Azkaban and Voldemort wants to skin him alive so I guess that he has enough on his plate already without dealing with a mean Death Eater.

Draco is still eating his apple when I finish the peach. 'So,' I start,' What do you think was the reason why you failed to kill the spider.'

'I don't know,' he answers after finishing his apple, 'I guess I don't have a valid reason for killing it,' he defends himself, his shoulders shrugging ever so slightly.

This makes me smile, seeing as how he really is a good person. However, he has got to change if he wants to be ready to kill Dumbledore by the end of the school year. 'I think you're giving the Killing Curse too much importance,' I say truthfully, 'If you had found this spider in your room, you would have hit it with a newspaper without a second thought. It's not that different,' I explain. 'Do you want to try again?'

He nods and stands up once again, pointing his wand at the spider. Just like the first time, he looks at the spider for a few minutes before doing anything.

'Avada Kedavra,' his orders in a steady voice. The spider drops dead and I can finally lift the Imperius Curse.

'I did it,' Draco almost shouts, looking exceptionally proud.

'Yes, you did,' I congratulate him while standing up, the mask hiding my proud smile.

Suddenly, Draco takes me in a bone crashing hug. He probably has been feeling very lonely since becoming a Death Eater, thinking that no one understands him. I can feel his heart beating strongly against my ear. _Yes, I really am that small._ It's not exactly uncomfortable and his scent is very enticing: A mixture of apple, after shave and what I would guess is his natural scent, something like the smell of a forest after a strong rain.

'It's late,' I state after a few minutes, 'I should leave.'

Before it gets too awkward, I slowly push myself away from him and he reluctantly lets me go. Immediately, I start walking towards the mansion so that I can floo back home.

However, I can feel him grabbing my hand, forcing me to turn around.

'I'm sorry,' he whispers and I nod. 'When and where will we meet again?' He asks urgently and I can feel more pressure on my hand.

'Same place, same time next week,' I answer in what I hope is a dissuasive voice, trying to free my hand from his.

However, I guess my voice wasn't dissuasive enough, because he gets nearer and protests: 'But-', he retorts in a hopeful voice.

I try to free my hand once again but his hold is too strong. I see he's coming closer but I can't let that happen, I can't give him false hope. So I do the best things that comes to mind, I decide to disapparate immediately, leaving him standing there.

It's the best thing I could, I reassure myself as I apparte in my hotel room. My heart was ripped out two years ago when Voldemort forced me to kill my adoptive parents. I have nothing to offer Draco, not even friendship.

 **Please review so I know what you think of this story!**

 **They will finally be at Hogwarts in the next chapter :)**


	5. Chapter 4

**Hey guys :) Sorry for not having posted sooner, but college has got me very busy... On the other hand, I've started another story, this time about the Walking Dead, so feel free to go check it out :D**

Chapter Four

I take a seat next to the window on my right. I must have been one of the firsts to board the train as every cabin had been empty when I got in. It was useless to continue my thriller since I expected that in a few minutes the train would be full of students making noise. Sighing, I look through the window on to the platform which is now packed. I see parents kissing their children goodbye and the children looking clearly embarrassed by it. I would have given everything to have my parents with me today… I fight the tears that threaten to flow, thinking about my mother's advice : There is no point in crying, tears won't change anything.

At that moment I hear the door sliding and as I turn to face it, a very handsome, olive skinned face smiles at me:

'Oh good,' the boy exclaims, 'You are a Slytherin.' He looks at me as though expecting an answer but I remain quiet. 'I'm Blaise Zabini, these here,' he says pointing at the two dumb looking boys behind himself, 'Are Crabbe and Goyle. Can we join you?' He asks at last.

'Sure,' I answer and in no time at all Zabini is sitting in front of me while Dumbface one and two remain close to the door, eating what seems to be chocolate frogs.

Zabini is a great conversationalist and minutes after they entered the cabin, I find myself in tears, laughing at his anecdotes about Hogwarts. I was relieved when he didn't ask a lot of questions about me; after I told him my name and my fake story, he merely teased me on my confidence about becoming a Slytherin since I was already sporting the house crest without having yet been sorted.

When my belly is seriously starting to hurt, the door slides open once again and I turn to see Draco, his arm around the waist of a pug faced girl.

'I didn't know we would have company, Blaise,' Draco says looking at me angrily.

'We do, indeed, and it's a most charming company,' Zabini answers, smiling at me, 'I present you the lovely -'

'Alexandra DeVilliers,' Draco simply states in a cold voice without facing me. The girl on his arm stares at me full of hatred.

'You've met?' Zabini asks puzzled.

'Briefly,' I reply not bothering to look at Malfoy.

Draco takes a seat next to Blaise, and Pugface sits on the blond boy's lap. Ignoring the girl, Draco turns to Blaise and starts in a tired voice:

'Daphne is so annoying, I swear,' Draco complains to his friend, 'Pity Agnessa graduated last year, she was a lot prettier and smarter than Greengrass. Now I'm stuck being a Prefect with that sorry excuse for a Slytherin.'

As Blaise is about to answer, Pugface kisses Draco and they start snogging. Blaise turns to me, an amused smile plastered on his face.

'They're always like that,' he whispers, 'Once I caught them red handed in our dormitories,' Zabini laughs and I imitate him even though the sight of Draco making out with that girl makes me nauseous.

I turn towards the window, looking at the beautiful landscape (I hadn't even noticed that the train had already departed!). After a few moments I fall asleep.

'Alexandra, wake up,' Blaise whispers in my ear, 'We are there.'

I nod, slowly opening my eyes. I bow down and take the miniature trunk from underneath my seat: I managed to shrink it so small that it now fits in my robe's pocket. As I make my way out of the cabin, I notice that Draco stays behind.

Blaise is waiting for me next to a carriage, the door held open. I thank him and I climb in, quickly registering that the carriages are pulled by thestrals and I wish that I wasn't able to see them.

'Here you are, ' Blaise announces as we reach Hogwarts' big doors. 'Wait here for Professor McGonagall, she'll explain the rest,' he says, 'Good look for the Sorting'. And with a playful wink, he leaves me amongst the first years. Well, he sure is a charmer, I smile to myself, amused.

By the time the said teacher finally appears to take us to the Sorting Ceremony, I am feeling bored and impatient. As she leads us through the doors Blaise disappeared into fifteen minutes ago, I hear the end of Headmaster Dumbledore's speech:

'Now, let us welcome the first years and one sixth year transfer student. May the Sorting begin!'

McGonagall has ordered us into a long line in alphabetical order and I find myself between two particularly loud first years. Suddenly, the old hat on the school starts to sing a crappy song and by the time the two first students are sorted, over ten minutes have already passed and my mood is growing nastier by the second.

'Alistair, Mary,' Professor McGonagall calls out and a rather peculiar looking girl starts walking towards the stool. She is shaking and walking extremely slow, even a snail would be faster!

'Oh, please,' I growl loudly. Without a second thought, I start walking towards the stool and the girl stops, looking at me with fear.

As I reach the stool, I see that McGonagall is now sporting a very shocked face, her mouth in a O, the rest of the room is quiet and I can feel them all looking at me. Without a word, I take the hat from the teacher's hand and as I'm about to place it on my head, it exclaims very loudly : 'Slytherin!'

A smirk forms on my face and I turn to the Professor, 'See,' I say patting her shoulder, 'It was a lot quicker this way.'

I then start walking towards the Slytherin table who is clapping the loudest. However, when I pass the Hufflepuff's table, I recognise one of them. What I recognise is the mixture of a face that I almost forgot and of one that I wished to forget. 'Diggory,' I whisper, shock overcoming me. My steps become a lot less confident but I manage to get to my table without embarrassing myself.

Blaise has saved me a spot in front of him and next to Pugface. I smile at him gratefully, sitting down.

'I'm Pansy,' Pugface says stretching out her hand in front of me.

'And I'm not interested,' I reply without facing her. Blaise smiles and we start conversing.

As the feast ends, I can't help but notice that Draco is missing.

'You got to be kidding me,' I complain loudly as I enter my room, or rather the dormitory. Not only will I be sharing the room with four other girls but they happen to be Pansy and her gang. The room in itself isn't too bad, it's pretty big, decorated in shades of green, the windows allowing us to look into the lake.

'Believe me,' Pugface snorts, 'I'd rather have Daphne here than you.'

That night I don't even bother unpacking. I just take out some toiletries and my pyjamas from the trunk.

—-

The next morning I manage to find my way to the Great Hall all by myself and I can't help but feel proud about it. I plan on finding Severus and making him give me a private room for I sure as hell won't be sleeping next to a snoring Pansy for the rest of the school year!

I finally spot Severus talking to a fellow Slytherin student, looking annoyed. I approach them quickly and as I'm about to interrupt, Severus speaks:

'I already told you, Miss Greengrass, there is no place left in your old dormitory. You and Mr Malfoy will have to get past your animosity,' he says and Daphne starts crying rather loudly. Perfect!

'Professor,' I say calmly, appearing in front of Severus and I have to stifle a laugh at having to call him that, 'I heard that Prefects have a private bedroom. If that's the case, I am more than willing to switch with Miss Greengrass.'

Severus looks at me, furrowing his brows but complies, 'Alright, but if you, Miss DeVilliers, take the Prefect's room, you'll also have to take over the Prefect's duties.'

I nod, a victorious smile plastered on my face. Weirdly enough, Professor Snape hasn't mentioned last evening's incident. Oh well! It' probably for the best. Severus leaves us and goes to the Professors' table. Daphne has now finally stopped crying.

'Are you sure?' She asks, wiping away her tears, 'Becoming a Prefect is hard work, especially if you are new.'

'Yeah,' I say, patting her shoulder, 'Don't worry, I'll manage.' I'm not really sure that this bargain was worth it but at least I will have a room all to myself.

Daphne and I make our way towards the Slytherin table which is almost entirely empty as it is still very early. However, all kinds of breakfast foods are already displayed on the table and I decide to treat myself to some pumpkin juice and two slices of buttered toast.

'About the Prefect's duties,' Daphne starts after taking a sip of her tea, 'You'll have to patrol the castle once a week. Usually, the Prefect's of the same house decide to partner up to keep each other company, but I doubt he will be willing do it,' Daphne finishes, hatred thick in her voice.

'Why do you hate him so much?' I ask the girl in front of me.

'Oh,' she exclaims clearly embarrassed, 'Can I trust you to keep it to yourself?' I give her a serious nod, and she continues, 'Well, I have a sister, Astoria. She's in her fourth year and yesterday as I came back to the Prefect's common room after taking the first years to their dormitories, I found the both of them on the couch in a very compromising position. Naked.' Daphne is now blushing so strongly, I can feel heat radiate from her cheeks.

I nearly spill out the juice that I have in mouth but manage to contain myself at the last moment. When I've composed myself, I can't keep myself from asking whether he isn't dating Pugface.

'Pansy, you mean?' Daphne wonders, 'Well they have been dating since their fourth year but that doesn't mean Draco is faithful,' Daphne confesses with disgust, 'But that's not the point. The point is that Astoria will have to marry into a good family and she won't be able to do that if her purity is questioned.'

As I listen to Daphne, I suddenly feel very glad that I wasn't brought up like a Pureblood. Both my parents were in Slytherin and came from noble Pureblood families but since they died when I was merely one year old, I wasn't brought up by them.

The table is now getting fuller and I see Blaise making his way towards me with a big smile.

'Hello beautiful,' he singsongs as he takes place next to me and helps himself to some food.

Some minutes later, Severus comes to our table and distributes our schedules. I am glad to see that Blaise and I are in the same classes except for when he has free periods and I have Herbology.

'We'll be in the same classes as Draco,' Blaise states displeased. Why isn't he happy about it? They are best friends aren't they?

As I'm about to ask Blaise about his displeasure, I notice that Draco is once missing from our table. Blaise must notice this too, because he responds to my silent question.

'He's always late for breakfast, probably still in bed with some girl, and anyways, he only ever eats an apple for breakfast.'

As I'm about to comment, Blaise interrupts me and says that we better get going in order to get the best seats. I agree, still curious about why Blaise isn't keen on talking about Draco.

When we reach the Defence against the Dark Arts classroom, some of the seats are already taken by Ravenclaws. Blaise manages to find us seats next to each other in the back row.

Severus enters the room and closes the door behind himself as the bell rings, and walks towards the front of the classroom, preparing for class.

It's only then that Draco opens the door, a half bitten apple in his hand, and takes the last seat which is on the second row, next to the window. I notice that Severus doesn't say anything so I guess that his tardiness is an habit.

All through the class, Blaise tries to get my attention, sometimes by touching my hand, but I ignore him as I'm actually enjoying Severus' teaching.

The rest of the morning goes by this way, Blaise always managing to get us to seat next to each other. Even at lunch, he stays with me instead of sitting with his friends. I find this odd but I don't say anything as I'm happy not to sit alone.

After lunch we have two hours of potions. I notice, looking at my schedule, that we have two hours of potions on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I really hope Slughorn's classes are interesting otherwise these six hours a week are going to be torture!

I am pleased to see that the Potion's classroom is in the Dungeons which means that we won't have to walk all through the castle to get to the Slytherin's quarters. As we reach the classroom, however, many students, both Gryffindors and Slytherins are gathered around the probably closed door. When the bell rings, an old and bold man opens the door and announces, 'You may now enter but don't sit down just yet!'

We do as we are told and stand awkwardly all around the classroom waiting for the teacher's instructions.

'I will now call out your names and partner you up in groups of two. You will be doing potions with your partner for the rest of the school year!' Slughorn says excitedly and takes out a roll of parchment.

After three minutes, only six of us are still standing and I am one of them. Blaise was, much to his dislike, partnered up with Pansy. Well, perhaps this is the opportunity to make a new friend, I relativise.

'Miss DeVilliers and Mister Malfoy.'

Well, this surely isn't what I was looking out for. Sighing, I follow Malfoy to the bench he selected.

Just as the teacher is done partnering us up, Scarface and Gingerface bust inside the room, over fifteen minutes late.

I ignore Malfoy throughout the lessons and he does the same. We don't really do anything, Slughorn just tells us what we will be doing during the school year and presents us some potions.

When the bell finally rings, Slughorn yells above the noise filling the room.

'This Wednesday and Friday, we'll look at Amortentia. And next Monday, you'll be brewing it with your partners!'

'Great!' I exclaim sarcastically.

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